What's a For-Profit School, Anyway?

A for-profit college or career school is any educational institution that is owned by shareholders and operated to earn a profit. In Maryland, there are currently over 300 programs offered by for-profit schools.

In recent years, these schools have come under fire for aggressive marketing, gigantic debt loads, and poor success rates at finding students good jobs.

Learn more about the for-profit school issue below and by reading our report on the impact these schools are having on Maryland students. Then put a human face to the issue with former student testimonials.

The costs

For-profit schools are expensive – they tend to cost twice as much as their public school counterparts.

Because it costs so much, the average amount of debt a for-profit school student takes on is 3 times higher than a public school student.

The education

Of students in bachelor's degree programs at for-profit schools, only a third will graduate.

Depending on the program, only half of those who do graduate will secure a job. It has been shown that many for-profit schools do not prepare their students to be successful in their chosen fields.

the problem

Each year, thousands of Maryland students enroll in these schools with the hopes of improving their situation by securing better jobs for themselves and for their families.

These schools are highly effective at attracting students by marketing on television, but these for-profit schools do not always live up to their promises.

Does all this information sound a little too familiar? Do you think you may have attended one of these schools? Tell us about it and we can try to connect you with some resources for defrauded borrowers.